Free the Miami Five
Campaign News | Wednesday, 27 March 2002
Update
The Miami Five: Gerardo, Antonio, Ramon, Rene and Fernando have been transferred to separate prisons across the US, another example of the callousness with which they are being treated, knowing that the five are very close and it meant a great deal to them to be together during their imprisonment in Miami. In Miami they were able to consult collectively with their attorneys and to see each other periodically. Now they are split up, family visits and consultation with the lawyers have been made extra difficult. The following are their new addresses: (Please note that Gerardo Hernández, who used to have the name Manuel Viramontes in Miami, is now under his real name Gerardo Hernandez).
Rene Gonzalez
Reg. #58738-004
FCI Loretto
P.O. Box 1000
Loretto, PA 15940
Gerardo Hernandez
#58739-004
U.S. Penitentiary-Lompoc
3901 Klein Blvd.
Lompoc, CA 93436
(For RAMÓN LABAÑINO)
Write to: Luís Medina
#58734-004
U.S.P. Beaumont
P.O. Box 26035
Beaumont TX 77720-6035
(For FERNANDO GONZÁLEZ)
Write to: Rubén Campa
#58733-004
F.C.I. Oxford
P.O. Box 1000
Oxford WI 53952-0505
Antonio Guerrero
#58741-004
U.S.P. Florence
P.O. Box 7500
Florence CO 81226
Please be sure and write to them as soon as you can. In the meantime, appeals have not been filed, as court dates have not been set yet. Several of the attorneys will continue as their appeals counsel. In discussions with their attorneys, they have told us that three basic points of appeals will be followed, for now.
They are:
1. On the court's failure to order a change of venue: In such a politically-charged and hostile environment as Miami, the anti-Cuba
terrorist capital, it was not possible for the court to meet one of the most basic criteria for a "fair" trial, that of an impartial and unbiased jury, free of pressure from right-wing forces.
2. On Gerardo's murder conspiracy conviction, the jury agreed with the U.S. prosecutor's outrageous claim that Gerardo had conspired with Cuba to have the pilots (who invaded Cuban airspace Feb. 24, 1996) shot down in international waters. That was the U.S. contention, that they were deliberately shot down in international waters, thus the U.S. argued against Cuba's rightful claim that it was defending its territorial space when the "Brothers to the Rescue" planes invaded. The jury ignored defense witnesses from the U.S. military, who actually showed that the planes had indeed been in Cuban airspace.
3. On the espionage conspiracy, in which three of the brothers were convicted. The defense will argue in appeals that the U.S. government never proved in the 14,000 pages of transcript and 7 months of trial, that the compañeros had engaged in espionage on the United States. In the meantime, there is a national tour in several U.S. cities to publicize and further build support for the five.
One major focus of the work of the US Free the Five Committee is the collection of petitions to show wide support for the five companeros. We are urging supporters to get a copy of the petition (available on the webpage: www.actionsf.org) calling for George W. Bush to free the Five. Please distribute it at political and other public events.
